I HeART Makati: i ♥ the Philippines. i ♥ being free.

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Woohoo!!! Just got my ID and permit to use my Nikon D60 here in Makati and take photos til my batteries run low. For those who do not know (and also to those who do not care), Makati CBD does not allow the taking of photographs of any areas of of the Makati CBD be it private or public. This is more for security purposes. And since this area is really one whole private location owned by Ayala Land Inc., there is really nothing that photographers like me can do about it (except of course to snap it out the Guerilla Way). This "once in a lifetime event" (lol, just kidding) is to celebrate our country's Independence Day and the vitality of the Makati Central Business District being hosted by Ayala Land Inc.

With the theme "I HeART Makati: i ♥ the Philippines. i ♥ being free.", all photo enthusiasts are welcome to join the following photo competitions - Photography Club Members Photo Competition and the On-the-Spot Photo Contest. The second category is divided to three levels, (a) Kids (b) Hobbyists / Enthusiasts and (c) Professionals.

Activities will start at 8 AM for registrations on June 19, 2010. By 9 AM there will be an opening remarks from Meean Dy, ALI Vice-President. And then all participants will be briefed by Mon Corpuz who is the President of the Pinoy Photography Organization (PiPho). There are also going to be Phot Sessions with John Chua, Edwin Martinez and Francis Inton respectively.

The Contest Proper will start at 11 AM. Awarding will be at 5:30 PM.

BTW, free food is available to contest participants hehehe. I wont miss it. LOL.

For registration and other details, you can visit the site: I HeART MAKATI

Click! Click!

June is the Dengue Awareness Month

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I first witnessed Dengue when I was still enrolled in an all male school somewhere in Lipa City. There was a breakout causing about 25% of the student population to be infected. Most are mild cases and were treated right away. But there are some who had to be confined for days in the hospital. One in particular caught my attention as we all were not aware that he was already in an alarming stage. The person seemed to have lost control of his mind and started to run in circles at the second floor of our dormitory. That is when we realized that he got the disease and so he was brought to the hospital. A classmate even had to donate blood for him. We were told that if he were brought to the hospital a few hours late, he would have died. That is how bad his dengue stage was during that time.

The Department of Health recently announced that this month of June is declared as Dengue Awareness Month. The DOH warns the public that the number of dengue cases in the Philippines is alarmingly getting higher. From January 1 to March 27, 2010 alone, they have already listed 11,803 cases which is 61% than the number of cases reported in the same period last year.

More information from DOH:

DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER is an acute infectious disease manifested initially with fever.

Transmission

Aedes aegypti, the transmitter of the disease, is a day-biting mosquito which lays eggs in clear and stagnant water found in flower vases, cans, rain barrels, old rubber tires, etc. The adult mosquitoes rest in dark places of the house.

Signs and Symptoms

a. Sudden onset of high fever which may last 2 to 7 days.
b. Joint & muscle pain and pain behind the eyes.
c. Weakness
d. Skin rashes - maculopapular rash or red tiny spots on the skin called petechiae
e. Nosebleeding when fever starts to subside
f. Abdominal pain
g. Vomiting of coffee-colored matter
h. Dark-colored stools

Prevention and Control

>> Cover water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

>> Replace water in flower vases once a week.

>> Clean all water containers once a week. Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of mosquitoes sticking to the sides.

>> Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rain water will not collect as breeding places of mosquitoes.

>> Old tires used as roof support should be punctured or cut to avoid accumulation of water.

>> Collect and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water.

And Show Up They Did

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We were all watching out at how Bynum will come out when being introduced by the Staples Center announcer, and we liked what we saw. The Staples Center crowd was unlike their usual self. Getting into the game at the sound of the buzzer. There was a sense of urgency. It really did something to energize the men in purple and yellow. Something was up when Ron Artest made that three. And we saw a glimmer of hope when Farmar dived down the parquet to keep the ball and then later on driving from the sideline and challenged KG for a layup. And we became believers after Browns tremendous alley-hoop-one-handed dunk off the pass from Gasol!

These Lakers did show up! Not just Kobe, but all the other Lakers! This was what I asked for in my last entry. For them to let Boston feel that Kobe Bryant is just a single presence. That their might is bigger than Laker-Celtic rivalry itself when the whole team plays.

Doc Rivers tried to insert his bench again to try to claw their way back but that came at a high price. These Lakers learned from what happened in Game 4. Nate might be able to do this over and over with superman but not with a superteam with a Mamba's head. And then it is all over. When the dusk setlled, Perkins was down, Rondo went down and for a time after committing a foul, I thought Tony Allen was down too.

I hope everybody is healthy come Game 7. If that is to be, then the best team will take the cake!!! I am not going to try to be no seer no more. The last few times I did that, my Lakers lost. I just hope that this same team that showed up tonight will be a more intensified team come Game 7.

REMEMBER BOSTON

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Let us face it! Lakerland is in the brink of falling into the abyss of no return if the other Lakers do not show up again tomorrow. And there will be no coming back this time. So very much unlike that 2008 defeat when everybody knows that the Lakers will try to avenge their loss by winning everything the next season, this time that is not going to happen. If the Lakers lose again to this airhead Celtic team there is no way that Kobe and Pau and Fish will again be present as Lakers to take vengeance.

The Players union are threathening to go for a one full season lockout if the CBA negotiations become unfavorable to them. If that lockout ever happens, the Lakers and more on the Celtics will be two year older. I think a much matured KD will eat KG and KB (24 that is) alive at that point (although I will still root for Kobe of course and yes it is KD and not LBJ as the latter is nothin but a myth). If that happens, ther will be no more Celtics vs Lakers in the Finals for at least a few seasons.

Now going back to the game. The other Lakers should step up. The Fish should step up! Artest should step up! Gasol, Vujacic and even an injured Bynum should step up! And Lamar, my dear Candyman, Are the kardashians the only guys you can keep up with???(pun intended) Step up man!!!!

I remember the 2009 Playoff Season when they are on the verge of being defeated by other teams in the West, their battlecry was "REMEMBER BOSTON!!!". They were able to pull it through albeit less the Celtic team that they sought for the whole time. They had to face a much younger and inexperienced superman in Orlando. Now they do not have to remember Boston! Boston is in their faces mocking their supposed growth or whatever you call it.

Man, as a Lakerfan, this is exasperating!!!! (Sigh) BOSTON SUCKS!!!!

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